Getting to know you
by CaleighWho
Summary: When Nikki confronts Jodie about her car going missing, she finds out the truth, about the car and about Jodie. As they become closer over time, Jodie realizes that Miss Boston isn't such a bad person after all. Nikki/Jodie. Nikki/Tom. Reviews are welcome :) x
1. Chapter 1

_**Getting to know you.**_

Jodie's heart pounded as Miss Boston pushed her against the wall. "Where's my car?" She spoke through gritted teeth. Jodie absent-mindedly crossed her arms. "How should I know?" She said with her cocky attitude. "Because you went in my bag. You took your phone and my car keys!" Nikki was getting really impatient with this child, she had been driving her up the wall all day. "No I didn't." Jodie scoffed, screwing her nose up. "Well you better get it back super quick otherwise I'll be phoning the police. I mean it Jodie…" She got up closer to her. "I could make life really difficult for you, because as long as you're in the PRU, I own you." Jodie pushed her away. "I didn't steal your stupid car Miss. What would I do with a piece of crap like that?!" She raised her eyebrows.

"You're going to Mr Byrne's office. Now." Boston grabbed Scout's wrists. She yelped in pain and pulled away. "You alright Jodie?" She closed her eyes, letting the pain ease down. Nikki gently took Jodie's arm and rolled up her sleeve, revealing a black bruise across her wrist. She was shocked. "Who did this Jodie?" Scout looked down at the floor, her feet shuffling. "Don't ignore me, who did this?!" She looked serious, like she genuinely cared. "It's nothing Miss. It was an accident." She was surprised when she felt a soft finger tilting her chin up. "Jodie…" Her baby blue eyes looked sad, even though she tried to hide it. "It was Barry Barry… I threatened to grass on him, and he pinned me to the wall, and punched me, saying that if I did tell on him, he would do _more_ damage. I didn't steal your car Miss, I swear, it was him!"

Nikki let go of Jodie's arm. "Barry Barry." She bite her lip in frustration, holding back the swear words and the cursing. "I've had just enough of that boy." She flipped out, punching the wall in anger. It was only centimetres away from Scout's face. "Are… are you okay, Miss?" She asked, watching as the damaged woman clenched her fist in pain. "Sorry. You shouldn't have seen that." She apologised straight away. "Do you need to go the nurse?" Jodie asked. "No I'm fine, but you need to get those bruises checked out." Boston demanded, turning her around and walking her towards the nurse's office.

"You won't tell no-one, will you?" She pleaded. "I won't. But Barry will be getting a serious talking to." She said, sitting Scout down with the nurse. "No! Don't Miss, he'll only come after me!" Jodie let a tear slip down her cheek. Nikki knelt down in front of Scout, taking hold of her hands. "I won't let him hurt you anymore. And I'm sorry for holding you responsible for my car going missing." Scout smiled, unexpectedly pulling Boston in for a hug. She squeezed her tightly. "Thank you Miss." She said through quiet sobs. Boston stroked her hair, calming her down and making her feel safe. She held Jodie at arm's length. "I'll go talk to Barry, I'll be back in 10 minutes, I promise." Nikki smiled before standing up, ready to talk some sense into the stupid boy. Jodie stopped her, giving her hand a gentle squeeze. "I wish you were my mum." Nikki giggled. "Be careful what you wish for."

**A/N: I love the idea of Nikki and Jodie being mother and daughter, they just seem to get on so well! Leave a review on what you think (one shot or not?) and I may update soon:') x**


	2. Chapter 2

Nikki stormed towards the PRU, getting faster with each footstep. She was going to give Barry Barry a piece of her mind. Her hand throbbed and ached, but she could tolerate the pain. After all, she had been through worse. She let her mind wonder back to when she was in the Army, all the screaming and the pain. It was horrible, but it made her who she is today; a strong female figure. That's just what this school needed. She charged into the PRU, gaining the attention of her pupils and Mr Clarkson, who had kindly offered to help out with the class. "Barry, out there now." She spoke sternly, her shaky fingers pointing to the corridor. Barry stood up, frowning, following Miss Boston.

She grabbed him, shoved him against the wall. "You stole my car, didn't you?" She spat. "Don't be silly Miss. It were Jodie." He smiled, trying to be innocent. "Don't lie to me, I've spoken to Jodie, and she told me the truth." Barry's face dropped. "The little bitch. She promised she wouldn't tell on me!" He shoved Boston off of him, but she quickly reacted, pressing him against the wall harder. "What you done was wrong. You stole my car, you stole my iPod, but worst of all, you beat Jodie Allen until she bruised. That was criminal." She screwed her nose up. "Not the first time, and it won't be the last." His true colours were shining through. "I want you to go to Mr Byrne and tell him the truth." She pushed him forward, directing him to Michael's office. "I don't care what you want Miss." He stopped in his tracks, showing a cocky grin. "Go." She shoved him.

* * *

Jodie sat in the nurse's office, holding an ice pack over her wrist. It felt soothing at first but it progressed into more pain. She was waiting for Miss Boston to show up and tell her that Barry was in deep trouble, maybe even suspension. _Dream on Jodie. _She said to herself. She heard the familiar clicking of heels. Taking a peak out of the room, she saw Miss Boston guiding Barry down the corridor. Barry looked up from his feet, catching an eye on Scout. "Jodie," He yelled, racing towards her. "You're dead!" Her eyes grew bigger as she tried to shut the door, blocking Barry out. "Go away." She screeched. "You told Miss about the car! You promised you wouldn't." He pushed the door hard, knocking Scout on the floor. She whimpered as he grabbed her arm, pulling her up, his fist hovering over her face. "I didn't tell her, she got it out of me, she's a manipulative bitch!" Jodie scratched at his arms, trying to get away. Nikki pulled Barry off of her, standing between the two. "I've had enough of you. Get out, now!" She yelled, watching as he scattered away, mumbling under his breath.

"Manipulative bitch?" Boston raised an eyebrow. Jodie looked down at her shoes, avoiding the look of anger in Boston's face. "Right, well, I think you better get back to the PRU now Jodie." She gulped down the tears she felt rising in her throat. "Miss, I didn't mean it, I just panicked. I really thought he were gonna hit me again. I'm sorry." Scout apologised. "It's fine. I understand what it's like to be scared of someone as intimidating as Barry." She smiled, a caring smile that made Jodie feel warm and fuzzy inside. She liked Nikki, she got on well with her. It was something about her, she was kind but stern. Like the mother she never had.

"Miss me?" A sarcastic voice came from behind Miss Boston. Barry Barry stood there with a lit up cigarette in his hands. "It's payback time Jodie." He laughed, flicking the fag onto the open plug socket and running away. A small spark flew out, making the pair jump. Suddenly, in a millisecond, a fire broke out. It spread around the room quicker than you could blink. Nikki had time to rush out the room. She started to race towards Michael's office, but she heard a scream. "Help!" Nikki turned back. She looked into the fire, seeing a figure huddling in the corner. "Shit…" She mumbled under her breath. "Jodie!"


	3. Chapter 3

"Jodie!" Nikki screamed, watching as the teen sobbed. "Stay there Jodie, don't move!" Scout nodded, keeping as far back as she could. Boston ran to the end of the hall, hitting the fire alarm with her fist, causing more pain that she had to ignore. She grabbed the fire extinguisher and quickly rushed back towards the nurse's office. The fire had grown, surrounding Jodie and the exit. Michael and Christine came running towards her, questions flying out of their mouths. "She's stuck in there Michael! I can't get her out." Nikki cried. Christine snatched the fire extinguisher, pulling the lever, spraying white foam into the room. The fire died down a little. They were surrounded by the sounds of panicking children rushing out of the school, and the sound of coughing and panting coming from the office. "Jodie?" Michael shouted into the fire, wafting away the smoke. Christine put down the extinguisher, squinting as she saw a figure in amongst the foam and smoke.

Jodie stumbled out, falling onto the floor. Her clothes were black and burnt. She didn't move a muscle, she just lay there, burnt and crispy. Nikki rushed to her side, checking for a pulse. "She's alive." She said, her heart pounding out of her chest. "I've called 999, they should be here soon. She needs to get to hospital." Christine said. The fire spat towards them. "We need to get out of here, now!" Michael exclaimed, pulling Christine with him as he ran outside. Nikki picked up Jodie, her body floppy and weak. She ran out as fast she could, the fire exploding behind her. Scout had no obvious injuries, but her breathing was dodgy. Each breath was short and fast. She needed help.

* * *

Boston rushed outside, the harsh wind hitting against her face. She felt all the eyes of pupils and teachers watching as she carried the damaged student in her arms. "Is that our Jodie?" Maggie shakily said. Nikki nodded, a tear drop falling onto Scout's cheek. She stirred, mumbling and coughing in pain. Jodie's eyes fluttered open a little, she found it hard to keep her heavy eyelids from shutting. The loud beep of sirens flooded in as ambulances and fire trucks came through the gates. Nikki raced towards the ambulance, her knees slightly giving in. She fell to the floor. Tom rushed over with firemen and some paramedics, who took Jodie. "Nikki," He said, gently helping her up. "Are you alright?" She nodded. "I couldn't get her out in time." She let more tears fall from her eyes. "Nikki don't… It's not your fault! You saved that girl." Tom hugged her tightly, refusing to let her go.

The pair sat by the ambulance, Nikki wrapped in a blanket with Toms arms protecting her. She gazed at the school as the firemen came out, explaining to Michael how bad the damage was. She watched as the children scattered out of the school ground, going home and gossiping to everyone about today's incident. A paramedic came over, knocking Nikki out of her daze. "Jodie has been taken straight to hospital. Her breathing is getting worse and she has a few burns that need dealing with." The paramedic smiled, showing as much sympathy as possible. Nikki didn't know how to reply. Barry Barry had caused so much damage. "Is there anyone that can accompany her in hospital, Mr Clarkson?" Tom looked at her. "No, she's not got a proper family." He looked towards Nikki, raising an eyebrow. "You should go, Nik." He said. Her face dropped. "What if she's mad at me?" Tom squeezed her shoulder. "She won't be mad, you saved her. Jodie really needs someone at the moment." She nodded, a faint smiled took over her face. She was going to be the mother figure that Jodie never had, she made sure of it.

**A/N – Bit of a boring chapter, I am really sorry! I just went off tracks with this a little, but I promise the next chapter will involve more Nikki/Jodie :) Please leave a review x**


	4. Chapter 4

Nikki entered the hospital, the smell of cleansing products attacked her nostrils. She hated hospitals. It brought back bad memories of her childhood. A nurse guided her to where Jodie was staying. The unit looked really familiar. She walked through the doors and her eyes immediately locked onto Jodie. She was attached to a drip, which was giving her fluids. She looked so peaceful sleeping. Nikki thanked the nurse and went up to Jodie. She smiled, stroking her delicate blonde hair and watched as she stirred, her bright green eyes fluttering open.

"Jodie," Nikki gulped. "It's Miss Boston." She felt warm hands slip into hers. Realizing they were Jodie's, she held them back, smiling slightly. "I'm so sorry Jodie, I shouldn't have run out, I should have made sure you were with me first, and I'm just really sorry." She babbled. Jodie grinned, sitting herself up. She flung her arms around Nikki, squeezing her tightly. "It's not your fault." She whispered through tears. "You came back for me." She said, smiling at Nikki. "They reckon I should stay in here for a couple of days, Miss." Scout slouched back into the pillow. "You can call me Nikki, as we are out of school hours." She giggled. "Err, no way, that's weird! Ya know… teachers having names and all." She screwed up her nose. Nikki laughed. "Still the same old Jodie." Her laugh died down. "You need to get some rest. I'll come check on you tomorrow." As Nikki turned to leave, Jodie grabbed her arm. "I don't want to stay here, I hate hospitals." Nikki gently removed Scout's arm off of her own. "It's for the best, trust me." She sighed. "I'll see you tomorrow."

* * *

Nikki woke up on her sofa, the sun shining through the half-drawn curtains. The TV quietly played Day-Break. Sighing, she stood up, making her way to the stairs. Mondays were always the worst day of the week. All the rushing around to get ready for work, the pain of dragging yourself outside, into the miserable weather. And to add to things, she had a lot on her mind. Jodie had been out of hospital for a week, after dis-charging herself the night Nikki left. They hadn't seen each other since. Maggie promised to keep Nikki updated about Scout, but she hadn't heard a word from her either.

She quickly showered, got into her usual work outfit, brushed her soft brown hair and applied a small amount of make-up to cover up the bags under her eyes. She had lost many hours of sleep over the last week, the thought of Jodie being unwell and scarred worried her. Nikki just wanted to know that she was well and healthy.

* * *

Everyone was down, and everyone had been down since the fire. Barry Barry had been permanently excluded from Waterloo Road. Not only had he started a fire which injured Jodie, but he also hit Miss Diamond and disowned Kasey for trying to be herself. He was nothing but trouble, and the school was better off without him. Of course there were other students that needed a talking to, but Barry was by far the worst of them all.

Nikki stared blankly at the cup of tea that sat in front of her. She stirred the sugar, mindlessly sighing. "I think the sugar has probably dissolved now." Tom shocked her. "What… oh yeah." She faintly smiled. "Sorry." She gulped down a tear she felt rising in her throat. "Are you okay?" Tom kept his voice low, not wanting Audrey or any of the others to get involved with Nikki's business. He watched as Nikki looked at her feet. "It's nothing really. I'm just worried about Jodie. I'm fine." She trembled. "Nikki, why do you worry about her? She's just a pupil who got into a bit of trouble." He placed his hand on top of hers. "I just do, okay Tom!" She rushed out of the staff room, away from Tom and his oncoming questions.

* * *

Her pupils sat nicely in the PRU, behaving for a change. Rhiannon hadn't spoken much since Scout had been away. Nobody did really. It was awfully quiet without Barry and Scout starting a fight every five seconds. Sometimes she missed the annoying sound of Barry's voice drumming into her head. It was crazy how much things had changed since the fire. Michael and Lorraine had a massive fall out, resulting in Audrey poking her nose about in it. Everything had just fallen to pieces, and nobody knew why.

"Right…" She started, looking around the room at the faces of tired students. "I want you to finish writing the essays about your life. Don't forget to include information about your family, your school, your dream job, and so on." She sighed, sliding into her chair. Her head was pounding against all four walls. "Miss…" Rhiannon said, watching as Boston let a tear drop down her cheek unexpectedly. "Miss, are you okay?" She stood at her desk, looking at Nikki, who once was so strong, but now failed to keep it all together. "Not now Rhiannon, sit down!" She screeched, jumping up and hitting her fist on the table. The piercing eyes of students locked onto Boston as she sat back down slowly, her breathing heavy. Suddenly, the door opened wide. The attention was suddenly shifted to the doorway. Nikki looked up, her emotions all over the place. She wanted to talk but the words were stuck in her throat. She managed to stutter.

"Jodie…"

* * *

**A/N: This chapter is quite long, and it really drifts off towards the end but I tried my hardest and the next chapter will definitely involve a lot of tension! Please keep reviewing, I love getting feedback from you guys.**

**Thank you to Elliesimpson and HedgieX for leaving such lovely reviews and advice :') xxx**


	5. Chapter 5

Rhiannon shot out of her seat, dashing towards the door. "Scout!" She laughed, hugging her tightly. "I'm so glad you're okay, we were all dead worried." Jodie giggled, limping over to her seat, avoiding eye contact with Miss Boston. "Welcome back Jodie." She said, as professionally as she could. "It's nice to see you back on your feet again." Jodie smiled, carefully sitting down. The room had a hint of sharp silence. All the students were staring at Jodie, giving her dirty looks. Nikki had to put her feelings aside for a moment. "Alright, let's not get distracted. I want you to carry on with the work…" She looked at the pupils, most of who were still glaring at Jodie. "… Now!" She yelled, knocking everyone out of the daze. She approached Jodie, noticing the girl's shaky hands as she tried to write down her essay. "Can I have a word with you after class, please?" Nikki asked. Scout sheepishly nodded. Boston went back to her desk, thoughts whizzing around in her head. She hated what she had become, she was weak and powerless. Breaking down and punching walls. That's not her. She changed. Something about Jodie reminded her of herself and she _hated_ it.

* * *

Nikki stood at the window of the PRU, watching the kids as they walked out of the gates, back to their homes for the night. She had a rough day, getting odd looks from Scout and constantly hearing Barry's name being whispered around the room. To make matters worse, her fist was killing her. The pain wasn't easing down, no matter how many pain killers she took. She looked at the red mark that sat over her knuckles. "You alright Miss?" A familiar voice said. Nikki quickly turned around. "Oh Jodie," She sighed with relief. "You scared me." They both smiled. "Is your hand okay?" She asked. "Yeah… I'm sorry about that." She apologised moving over to her desk, slumping into her seat. "Why did you do it? It's just… it's something that I didn't think you would do." Jodie followed, sitting in a seat opposite her desk. "Barry Barry got the better of me, and I broke down." She fiddled with her hands, feeling her palms getting sweaty with embarrassment. "I owe you an apology, Jodie. I shouldn't have been so hard on you about the car, especially when you were going through a lot."

"Why do you care so much, Miss?" Jodie snapped. "I just feel bad for what I let happen to you, and I feel sorry for you." She gulped. "I don't need people feeling sorry for me." She strained. "I just want you to be safe." She said calmly. "I am safe! And anyway, it has nothing to do with you." Scout spoke through gritted teeth. Nikki looked down at the bruises on Jodie's arm. "I just don't want you to get bullied because of it all." She sighed. "Why do you care if I get bullied?! It's got nothing to do with you." Jodie spat. "Because I know how it feels, okay!" She screeched, jumping out of her seat and banging her hands on the desk. Silence cut her throat as she tried to speak. Nikki knew she shouldn't have said that, she knew that couldn't tell Jodie about her personal life. "What do you mean?" Scout said, confused.

Nikki slouched back into her chair. "When I was your age… I was bullied by a boy very similar to Barry Barry. He hit me every day and called me names. It started off as just him, but then I had an accident which left me mentally scarred and he used that against me. He turned all of my friends on me, and eventually I had no-one. Since that day I promised myself that I wouldn't let that happen to any of my students. But I let it happen to you, and I'm sorry." A single tear fell down her face as she spoke, her voice full of pain. She felt warm hands gently covering her own. She looked up to see Jodie crying, her cheeks red and her eyes bulging. "I can't believe that happened to you. I always imagined you as the type of girl that was really popular at school." The pair laughed. "I wish." She sighed, getting out of her seat and walking with Scout towards the doors of the PRU. "Thank you, Miss." Jodie smiled, hugging Nikki tightly. "Promise me that you'll come to me with any problems…" Nikki whispered into her soft hair. Scout moved back, looking up and grinning. "…I promise."

* * *

**A/N: Leave reviews on what you think :) Sorry it's not a big chapter, next chapter will be better and Barry Barry will be back! Xxx**


	6. Chapter 6

The rain whipped against her face as her feet smashed against the floor, gaining pace with each step. Her heart was pounding out of her chest. Tears, which so cleverly disguised as rain drops, ran down her cheeks. She ran faster, trying to get away from him. She didn't know where she was going, but she kept on running. She could almost feel his rough hands touching her delicate skin, his beast-like fingers scratching at her burns. She screamed, but no-one heard her. No-one ever heard her. She would always scream when he was close, but nobody came to her rescue, not even the one she trusted the most. He was so close, she could feel his breath on her neck, his hand gripping her arm. Jodie gasped for air as he covered her mouth, blocking her screams and pleads. He fiercely buried his fist into her stomach, causing her to gag a little. He laughed at her pain. She fell to the floor, coughing, watching as he raced off.

She was only miles away from civilisation. Only miles away from the school, from someone seeing him hurting her. Only miles away from the teachers sat in the staff room, laughing and giggling, moaning and groaning…

Only miles away from Nikki.

* * *

"Quiet!" Boston yelled, pacing around the PRU, placing text books in front of everyone. She took a mental note of who had attended class and who hadn't. And to her surprise, Jodie wasn't present. She quickly poked her head around the door, only to see Audrey walking down the corridor with a pile of unmarked books. "Audrey," She said, approaching her. Audrey's bright and happy face instantly made the knots in Nikki's stomach ease down. "Could you do me a massive favour?" She begged. "Can you just watch the PRU for a moment, please? It's just whilst I find a missing student. I won't be long." Audrey opened her mouth, ready to decline but Nikki didn't stick around to hear the answer and she shot off down the hallway as fast as she could.

* * *

Jodie stumbled into the toilets, clutching at her stomach. The pain was unbearable, she didn't know how much more she could take of this. Barry had been hurting her for a while now, but every time she tried to tell Miss Boston, she was too busy to listen, or to care. Tears fell onto her rosy cheeks, her mascara running after them. Her own skin felt rough now, damaged and broken; just like her mind. She needed a quick escape, a way out of all the pain. Images of Barry beating her day after day played in her head as she rumbled about in her bag for the pain killers. She pulled them out, noticing her shaky hands. Closing her eyes tightly, she blocked the tears from crashing any further.

There was a sudden push at the door, and Miss Boston entered. Her heart pounded, thoughts flying through her head. She rushed into a cubical, locking herself in, blocking herself from Boston. "Jodie." She yelled, banging hard on the door. "Fuck off." She screeched back, sliding down to the floor. She looked at the pills she held tightly in her hand. _Do it._ The voice inside her head kept urging her to do so. One smooth move; open the packet, down them all and wait for the silence, the peace, the _happiness_. Nikki banged on the door harder. "Jodie please come out." She strained. She could hear the crackling of a packet inside the cubical and the truth was she was scared. She knew exactly what Jodie was doing to herself in there, and she didn't know how to help her.

**A/N: Sorry this chapter is so short, but next chapter is the final chapter and it WILL be good! I promise :') Leave a review, so I can get an idea of what you lot would like to see happen next x**


	7. Chapter 7

Scout looked at the tablets that sat in her hands. My lucky escape. She thought as she ignored the begs coming from behind the door. "Jodie, don't!" The banging became more consistent. But she couldn't hear it anymore, she just wanted to forget everything that had happened. Sometimes she wished that the fire had killed her, and that Nikki didn't fight for her. She tried to block the sound as she downed the tablets as fast as she could. Her vision had become blurry and she felt sick rising in her throat. She felt so alone. Sometimes she had too much time alone, too much time to think. Too much time to feel insecure about herself. She just needed someone to be there for her when things got tough. "If you don't open this door, I will have to go get Michael, and he won't be happy." Nikki threatened, gulping back tears, staying strong.

Jodie gave in, pushing herself off of the floor. She slowly opened the door, basically falling into Miss Boston's arms. "Jodie." She exclaimed catching her as she fell. The empty packet of pain killers lay next to her feet. "You took them didn't you?" Nikki felt a tear slip down her cheek. "You need an ambulance, you shouldn't have taken them tablets." Jodie sighed as she pushed herself off of Nikki. "I can't stand it anymore! You don't understand. You never listened to me when I needed you to." She snapped, attempting to push past Nikki, but failing, her bones becoming weaker with each breath. "What?" She said, totally taken aback by the sudden outburst. "Barry… Barry, he is always there, beating me. He is constantly hurting me and every time I go to you for advice and help, you blank me out! You promised you would be there for me, and you weren't!" She lifted up her top, revealing 4, maybe 5, black bruises about 4 inches long. Nikki was speechless. How, why, did she let this happen to Jodie?! "You told me you went through the same…" Scout put her top back down, shaking her head. "You told me you understand… but you don't understand at all."

Nikki took a step back, perching on the edge of a sink. "This guy… he used to pick on me. Call me names and things like that. It's silly, but it hurt. There came a point where he decided he wanted to hit me. So he did. Every day. I hated going to school because of him. One day he damaged my windpipe and I couldn't breathe. I got sent to hospital and after I came out of hospital, he still wanted to hurt me, he still hit me. I didn't get away from it until I joined the Army." Nikki cried gently, her voice becoming louder and louder with each word. "So don't you dare tell me that I don't understand, because I do. I know how shit it feels and trust me, I wanted out so bad, but I didn't, okay?!"

Jodie couldn't believe what she was hearing. Had this really happened to Nikki? She didn't want to think about it. It was horrible, her whole life lived in dread and worry and pain. She wanted to hug her so bad, tell her how sorry she was and that everything's okay. But she didn't. She did what she's always done best… She ran. Pushing past Nikki aggressively, Scout rushed out of the toilets, heading anywhere but home. She wanted to be away from everyone, just until she had cleared her head. Nikki sighed before quickly running after her, wiping her tears away. She couldn't keep up with her pace. For a girl who was failing gym, Jodie sure was running faster than expected. Boston didn't have the energy to shout her name but she didn't want to give up on her, not again, not after everything she had just been through.

Tom was taking a stroll outside, looking over Casey's story she had wrote about football. He liked it. She had good potential, if only her family could see that too. Clutching onto the papers tightly, he went to make his way back in, opening the door, only to be knocked back by Jodie. He dropped the papers into a deep muddy puddle. "Hey, Jodie." He shouted, his anger bubbling up. But she didn't stop and listen, she just ran out of the gates, looking left from right. She could go left, which to her to the school house, where she would be questioned and punished by Maggie. Or, she could go right, where Barry stood, waiting for her to walk past. Either way, she was going to lose.

Tom sighed at the sight of the wrecked papers which he treasured so dearly. As he went to fetch Michael for Jodie, the runaway student, Nikki ran out the doors, panting and barely breathing. "What are you doing?" He asked, stopping her. "Jodie… needs me." She managed to sputter out through her attempts at gaining air back. "She _needs_ to get back to lesson, and so do you." He said sternly, placing an arm around her and turning her around to take her back inside the PRU. "No." She argued, pushing him away. Their eyes met, and Nikki saw nothing. It was like looking into a black hole that never ended. "I've got to help her." She gulped, running out of the gates, Tom soon following behind her.

He grabbed her arm, pulling her back gently. "Nikki, we can go and get Michael and he'll sort it out." He sighed. "No Tom, I can't leave her… she took pills. She needs someone to care for her." She shrugged him off of her. "You can't take all of this upon yourself, it's doing you no good." He raised his voice. Nikki knew he was right, but she didn't want to let Jodie down. Tears grew in the corner of her eyes and she soon found herself with her head against Tom's chest, his arms wrapped tightly around her. She felt safe and it seemed that all her worries had been put on hold for a moment.

As Nikki lost herself in Tom's arms, she heard a thunderous bang followed by the sound of squealing tyres and the crash of a car connecting with another object coming from behind her. An airbag exploding, followed by metal falling off the car. She could feel the warmth of fire against her back. There was another screeching sound, but this time it sounded more human, more painful. She quickly pulled away from Tom's security and turned around. Her heart fell to the bottom of her stomach which knotted tightly. Her breathing became short and quick, and everything became a blur. Nikki stared at the mangled car that burnt before her. She noticed a body, thrown on the floor like a discarded rag doll. It lay under metal that had been torn away from the car like shredded paper. She could hardly recognize the face as it was covered in pure red blood and shiny black petrol, but she knew exactly who it was.

"Jodie!" She screamed as she ran into the road, stepping in blood and petrol. Her legs wobbled and she fell to the floor beside the damaged student. "Jodie." She cried, grabbing her wrist and checking for a pulse. Scout was still conscious but was so limp, so floppy and broken. She was in a worst state than she was in the fire incident. Nikki tried removing a piece of heavy metal off of Jodie's legs, but failed miserably. Tears streamed down her face. All she could hear was the faint sound of Tom on the phone, his voice wobbly as he tried to keep himself composed, calling for help. The familiar sounds of gasps and chatter surrounded her as half of the school piled out to see the mess. Michael and Christine rushed towards the gates, blocking anyone from getting to the scene.

"Scout!" Rhiannon screamed, crying and pushing her way towards her. Boston looked up, her teary and bloodshot eyes catching sight of the redhead stood in front of her. "Go back Rhiannon." She stuttered through sobs. "Is… is she…" She broke off, looking down at Jodie who was gasping for air, her bright red blood spilling on the tarmac. Lorraine quickly ran up to them both, pulling Rhiannon away from her closest friend, who sadly was losing oxygen rapidly. "You can't see this." She said in her professional tone, even though her throat threatened to give in and cry. "Miss please, she can't die." She cried in Lorraine's arms, being dragged back into the school.

That's when it hit Nikki… Jodie had tried to kill herself before, and would certainly try again. So what if this wasn't an accident, and she _walked_ into the road, knowing that the speeding car would hit her hard enough to knock her out of life. Nikki took Scouts hand, holding it tightly and softly placing a kiss on the knuckles. Her tears spilt onto her delicate pale skin. As the sound of police and ambulance sirens filled the space around them, Nikki felt someone squeeze her hand weakly. "Miss…" She mumbled. "Shhh, don't try to talk, it'll hurt too much." Boston stroked her stained blonde hair. "I'm… I'm scared." Jodie coughed, a bit of blood spluttering out as she did so. "I'm so sorry..." She mumbled under her breath, not knowing what to do. Nikki held Jodie's body in her arms, slowly rocking back and forth. She held the body, _a_ body, just a shell of a person now. An inanimate object. Her personality and soul had been stolen from her, she was lost. She was nothing.

Jodie's eyes fluttered shut, so weak, so broken, her life ending before it even had a chance to start. This was the end for Jodie Allen, and what an end it had been.

**A/N: And this is the end of the story! I hope you enjoyed it and thank you for reading and reviewing, it means a lot to me :) xxx**

_**On another note; the cause for Jodie's death was bullying. I hate bullying it is wrong. It can cause great damage that isn't even noticed. I guess that the reason I wrote this fanfic was to make people realize that bullying can lead to death, and I apologise because I didn't get that across very well.  
There's a film called **__**"Cyberbully" and I watched it and I don't think I've cried harder whilst watching a film. I can't even begin to explain how much of an emotional wreck I am after watching it. It's the saddest, most inspirational and moving film I have ever watched. Obviously cyberbullying hurts. It can cause all sorts of emotional problems in victims. And this film tells the honest truth about bullying. You honestl**__**y need to watch it, because it will really open your eyes to everything that you see, it will make you realize the effects of stupid 'jokes' that become out of control and how much the little things can hurt someone.**__**  
**__**Please take a moment to sit down and watch it, even if you know the effects of bullying, just watch Cyberbully.**_


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